Vital Signs

A couple with HIV who long for their own child muster the courage to face the consequences

I've been dreaming about having a baby," said Ashley. That's not a strange thing for a childless 36-year-old woman to tell her gynecologist, but it surprised me because this patient is HIV-infected. Having a baby implies having a future, something that those of us who have watched women die of AIDS once never dared hope for. But Ashley has always been tenacious. Six years ago, the boyfriend who introduced her to heroin and HIV died of pneumonia, leaving her resolved to convince others not to dup...

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